Diving apparatus



Jan. 14, 1936. E, c DEAN DIVING APPARATUS Filed-June 26, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a III H w HIS ATTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1936. E. c. DEAN DIVING APPARATUS Filed June 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a part of the diving board.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I make use of a base structure I0 comprising four supporting legs l2 to which I connect two long frame members l4 and a cross member I6. A second cross member 18 is positioned between the member l6 and secured thereto for holding the members in spaced apart relation. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I connect a spring board 20 with the cross member I8 through the medium of a hinge 22. This board comprises a runway 24 and a trip member 26 hingedly connected with the runway at 28.

The normal position of the spring board 20 is illustrated in Fig. 2. In this position, the spring board rests upon a cross bar 30 having its ends connected with two springs 32 fastened to the frame members l4 through the medium of brackets 34 bolted to the members. My diving board is arranged to be shifted to the dotted line position of Fig. 2 against the tension of the springs 32 for hurling divers running out on the board 20 and jumping onto the trip member 26. In Figs. 1 and 2, I illustrate a floor 36 between the cross members l6 and I8. Referring to Fig. 2, the shaft 30 projects through a slot 38 in brackets 49 bolted to the bottom of the part 24. Thus, the board is operatively connected with the springs 32 in such a manner that the shaft 30 may shift longitudinally of the slots 38, but the part 24 is prevented from leaving the shaft.

I provide means for flexing the springs 32 various amounts to accommodate divers of different weights. To this end, a rope or cable 42 has one end connected with the shaft 30 and its opposite end wound upon a drum 44 mounted upon a shaft 46 having its ends supported in bearings 48 carried by upstanding frame members 50 bolted to a floor 52. I mount a large gear 54 upon the shaft 46 in fixed relation with the shaft in the same way as the drum 44, so that the three parts will rotate as a unit.

Loop members 56 are bolted to the member I4 for supporting the floor 52. Upon the floor 52 I mount a motor 58 having a shaft 60 journaled 5 in bearings 62 carried by a part of the frame members 50, which shaft is provided with a gear 64 keyed thereto. I arrange the gear 64 in mesh with a large gear 66 keyed to a shaft 68 having its ends journaled in bearings 10 carried by an 10 inverted U-shaped member 12 having its lower ends pivotally mounted upon the shaft 60 at 14.

A small gear 16 is keyed to the shaft 68 and arranged in mesh with the large gear 58. In this way, rotation of the shaft 60 is transmitted 15 to the gear 54, and the pivotally mounted. member 52 is arranged to be shifted to throw the gear I6 out of mesh with the gear 44. Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, springs i8 are connected with the frame members 50 and the U-shaped mem- 20 ber 12 for yieldingly holding the gear 76 in mesh with the gear 54.

In Figs. 2 and 3, a pawl 80 is mounted upon a shaft 32 carried by the frame members 50. This pawl is arranged to engage the teeth of the gear 25 54 for holding the gear in a fixed position against the tension of the springs 32 after the spring board 20 has been adjusted to its operative position. An arm 84 is fixed to the shaft 82 and is connected with the U-shaped member 12 30 through the medium of a link 86. This link is provided with a slot 88 for receiving a pin 90 carried by the arm 84. Thus, it will be seen that the U-shaped member 12 may be shifted sufiiciently far to throw the gear 16 out of mesh 35 with the gear 54 before the pawl 88 is pulled out of engagement with the gear 54.

The U-shaped member 12 is operatively connected with the trip member 26 through the medium of a rod 92 having one end pivotally 0 connected with an arm 94 bolted to the trip member 25 and its opposite end pivotally connected between lugs 96 carried by the U-shaped member 12 (see Figs. 2 and 3). I provide a block 98 having trunnions I00 pivotally arranged 45 within openings in the lugs 96. This block is provided with an opening I02 for slidably receiving the rod 92. This rod is provided with a flange I04 normally abutting the block 98 by reason of a coil spring I06 mounted upon the 50 rod and abutting the block 98 and a washer H18 upon the rod.

It will be noted that the springs 18 normally hold the trip member 26 in the position of Fig.

2, at which time the trip member is arranged at 55 crank in various shifted positions.

a slightly steeper angle than the runway 24. When a diver runs out on the runway 24 and jumps upon the trip member 26, the latter is pivoted downwardly and shifts the member 12 sufficiently far to throw the gear I6 out of mesh with the gear 54 and the pawl 80 out of latching engagement with the gear 54, whereby the springs 32 are permitted to throw the spring board upwardly about its pivotal connection 22.

The throwing power of the springs 32 will depend upon the amount the springs 32 are flexed. The amount of spring flexure is adjusted to accommodate a diver of predetermined weight through the medium of a switch mechanism operating to open the circuit through the motor 53 when the springs have been flexed sufficiently far. Referring to Fig. 2, I illustrate a bar H pivotally mounted at H2 upon one of the frame members I4 and having an upstanding bar H4 pivotally connected with one of its ends and slidably associated with a guide bracket H6 mounted upon the member I4. The free end of the bar II4 projects beyond the bracket H6 and is arranged in the path of the spring board 20. The opposite end of the bar H0 is pivotally connected with a bar H8 connected with an arm I20 mounted upon a shaft I22 (see Fig. which shaft is connected with a crank I24. The shaft I22 is carried by a slidable housing I26 arranged between guide flanges I28 carried by a standard I30. In Figs. 2 and 5, a finger I32 projects upwardly from the top of the housing I26 and is arranged to engage an insulated projection I34 fixed to a switch blade I36 mounted upon a block I38 of insulating material. I pivotally connect the blade I36 with the terminal I40 and provide a split terminal I42 for the reception of the blade in the position of Fig. 2. Conductors I44 and I46 are connected with the terminals I40 and I42, respectively, and are associated with a protective conduit I48. The conductors I44 and I46 connect with the motor 58 and comprise the circuit for the motor.

In operation, the bar H4 may be shifted through the medium of the crank I24 to make contact with the spring board 20 in various adjusted positions. I provide a spring pressed latch member I50 (see Fig. 5) in association with the grip I52 carried by the crank I24, to latch the The latch member is provided with a head I54 arranged to enter partly one of a plurality of openings I56 in the front wall of the housing I26. Each hole is provided with weight indicating indicia I58. In Fig. 2, I have illustrated a number of holes spaced to represent a number of adjusted positions representing differences of twenty-five pounds. Of course, more openings may be provided so that substantially correct adjustment may be attained for all weights. According to the illustration of Fig. 5, the latch pin will yield upon the application of a thrust in either direction on the grip I52, but is constructed to hold the adjusted parts firmly in shifted position.

In Fig. 2, the bar H4 is adjusted to accommodate a diver weighing two hundred pounds. After the arm I24 has been adjusted, the circuit through the motor is closed by arranging the blade I36 according to Fig. 2, at which time the drum 44 will be rotated in a clockwise direction when viewing Fig. 2, thereby flexing the springs 32. Continued movement of the spring board I20 after it has contacted with the bar H4, will cause the housing I26 to rise because of the latched connection between the arm I24 and the housing. Such upward movement of the housing I26 causes the blade I36 to be moved out of electrical contact with the terminal I42, thereby breaking the circuit through the motor. Thus, the spring board 20 will be shifted to a throwing position against the tension of the springs 32, which springs are flexed an amount providing an ideal throwing force for a diver of two hundred pounds.

The pawl 80 permits free rotation of the gear 54 in a clockwise direction when viewing Fig. 2, but prevents counterrotation. As previously stated, the gear I6 is thrown out of engagement with the gear 54 before the pawl 80 is moved out of latching relation, whereby the drum 44 in connection with the gear 54 is completely freed immediately upon disengagement of the pawl 80. My construction provides free and easy meshing of the gears and permits a quick release of the gear 54 after complete disengagement of the gears I6 and 54 which provides efiicient action in addition to preventing stripping of the gears.

I provide stop members I60 for limiting the movement of the trip member 26 relatively to the runway 24. Thus, the trip is in contact with the supports I60 at the time the springs 32 are released so that an effective throwing action is attained.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain my invention that others may by applying current knowledge readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

1. A divers apparatus comprising a runway movably connected with a fixed support, spring means yieldingly resisting movement of the runway in one direction, means for moving and holding the runway in various shifted positions against the tension of said spring means, and a mechanism operatively connected with said means and actuated by the weight of a diver stepping thereon for releasing said means and freeing the runway, to throw the diver.

2. A divers apparatus comprising a runway movably connected with a fixed support, a spring yieldingly resisting movement of the runway in one direction, means for moving and latching the runway in various shifted positions against the tension of said spring, and a trip mechanism operatively connected with said means and actuated by the weight of a diver stepping thereon for releasing said means and freeing the runway,

to throw the diver. 3. A divers apparatus comprising a supporting structure, a runway movably connected therewith, a trip runway movably connected with the runway, a spring means yieldingly resisting movement of the runway in one direction, means for moving and latching the runway in various shifted positions against the tension of said spring means, means connecting said trip runway with said first-named means and actuated by the weight of a diver stepping on the trip runway for releasing said first-named means and freeing the runway and said trip runway to throw the diver.

4. A diving board comprising a supporting structure, a runway swingably connected with said supporting structure, a trip runway swingably connected with said runway, springs connected with said supporting structure and operatively connected with the runway for yieldingly resisting movement of the latter in one direction, a gear rotatably carried by said supporting structure, a drum connected with the gear for rotation with the same, a rope connected with said springs and wound about the drum for moving the runway against the tension of said springs, a latch co-operating with the gear for latching the latter in various shifted positions of the runway, an operating connection between the trip runway and the latch, and power means for operating said gear.

5. A diving board comprising a supporting structure, a runway swingably connected with said supporting structure, a trip runway swingably connected with said runway, springs connected with said supporting structure and operatively connected with the runway for yieldingly resisting movement of the latter in one direction, a gear rotatably carried by said supporting structure, a drum connected with the gear for rotation with the same, a rope connected with said springs and Wound about the drum for moving the runway against the tension of said springs, a latch co-operating with the gear for latching the latter in various shifted positions of the runway, a motor operatively connected with said gear, and an operating connection between the trip runway and the latch.

6. A diving board comprising a supporting structure, a runway swingably connected with said supporting structure, a trip runway swingably connected with said runway, springs connected with said supporting structure and operatively connected with the runway for yieldingly resisting movement of the latter in one direction, a gear rotatably supported by said supporting structure, a drum connected with the gear for rotation with the same, a rope connected with said springs and wound about the drum for moving the runway against the tension of said springs, a latch co-operating with the gear for latching the latter in various shifted positions of the runway, a motor, a train of gears connecting the motor with said firstnamed gear, a movable support for supporting said train of gears, a connection between said movable support and said trip runway and actuated by the weight of a diver stepping on the latter for throwing the train of gears out of mesh with said first-named gear, a connection between said movable support and said latch, said last-named connection operating to move the latch out of engagement with said firstnamed gear after disengagement of said train of gears with said first-named gear.

7. A diving board comprising a supporting structure, a runway swingably connected with said supporting structure, a trip runway swingably connected with said runway, spring means connected with said supporting structure and operatively connected with the runway for yieldingly resisting movement of the latter in one direction, a gear rotatably supported by said supporting structure, a drum connected with the gear for rotation with the same, a rope connected with said springs and wound about the drum for moving the runway against the tension of said spring means, a latch co-operating with the gear for latching the latter in various shifted positions of the runway, a motor, a train of gears connecting the motor with said firstnamed gear, a movable support for supporting said train of gears, a connection between said movable support and said trip runway and actuated by the weight of a diver stepping on the latter for throwing the train of gears out of mesh with said first-named gear, a connection between said movable support and said latch, said last-named connection operating to move the latch out of engagement with said firstnamed gear after disengagement of said train of gears with said first-named gear, a switch including a circuit for said motor, and means arranged in the path of said runway and operatively connected with said switch, to open the same when said runway has been shifted to a predetermined position 'by the motor.

8. In a divers apparatus, a diving board, spring means for throwing the board, a motor operatively connected with the diving board for moving the same against the tension of the spring means, to shift the diving board to a predetermined position, and switch means comprising a part of a circuit for the motor actuated by the diving board to open the motor cir- 

